Giants rally to beat Cubs at chilly Wrigley Field

CHICAGO -- Last season's comeback kings are back to their old tricks, albeit on a smaller scale.

A Giants team that made a habit of escaping elimination en route to a World Series title has two big comebacks in the past three games. Thursday's 7-6 win over the Chicago Cubs came after the Giants fell behind 5-0 at Wrigley Field.

"We just have the right attitude," center fielder Angel Pagan said. "We protect the lead, or we go get the lead."

On a damp, miserable day in Chicago, the Giants did a little of both.

Two days after overcoming a four-run deficit to the Colorado Rockies thanks to Brandon Crawford's three-run homer, the Giants took a different tack. This time they inched back on a series of self-inflicted wounds by the opponent.

Already leading 1-0, the Cubs put up four runs against Ryan Vogelsong in the third inning on Anthony Rizzo's two-run homer and a string of singles from the bottom of the lineup. Vogelsong has been roughed up a bit in his first two starts and said he went back to the dugout after the rally and asked pitching coach Dave Righetti, "What the heck is going on?"

"I haven't felt like I should," Vogelsong said. "Or like I did in spring training. I'll hit the video a little bit."

The Cubs batted around in that third inning, but the Giants followed up by sending nine hitters to the plate in consecutive innings. As Pagan said, it was time to go get the lead, and the rebuilding Cubs provided a helping hand.

The four-run fourth inning was extended by Starlin Castro's fielding error on a two-out Vogelsong grounder to short. Pagan followed with a grounder to the right side that again should have ended the inning, but second baseman Brent Lillibridge opted not to throw to first when he saw that pitcher Scott Feldman was late covering the bag.

The mistakes kept the inning going for the top of the Giants lineup, and Pablo Sandoval made the Cubs pay with a two-run double.

The Giants tied the game at 5-all when Vogelsong was walked with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth. A sacrifice fly from Pagan scored the go-ahead run, and Crawford's single plated a seventh straight unanswered run for the Giants.

"Our team has got a lot of fight in us," closer Sergio Romo said. "We try to win every inning. It's just a good example of everyone pulling together and that never-say-die attitude. It's a nice little carry-over from (the postseason) for sure."

After getting the lead, the Giants had little trouble protecting it. Vogelsong retired the final 10 batters he faced, and Jeremy Affeldt and Santiago Casilla bridged the gap to Romo, who put the tying run in scoring position but struck out Rizzo to clinch the fourth straight win for the Giants.

The game marked the first time since 2008 that the Giants won after trailing by five or more runs, and they did it in conditions that were hardly ripe for a comeback.

The team's flight to Chicago landed a little after midnight, and when the Giants got to Wrigley Field for the day game, they were confronted with steady rain and 40-degree weather. As is customary for the starting pitcher, Vogelsong traveled ahead of the rest of the team, something he doesn't like doing.

After being picked up by bleary-eyed teammates on a day when he was far from his best, Vogelsong hugged his way up and down the cramped dugout at Wrigley Field.

"Today was pretty impressive considering the long trip," he said. "I went up and told each one of them: 'Thank you.' "

* Marco Scutaro was given a rest day, and the Giants' lineup didn't miss a beat. Crawford, hitting in Scutaro's No. 2 spot, reached base four times. Nick Noonan took Scutaro's spot at second base and had three singles in his first career start.

Noonan made the opening-day roster with a late spring surge and has started the season 5 for 11. He said he has been helped by veteran teammates urging him not to alter the approach that got him here.

"I haven't changed a single thing since last year," Noonan said. "I've just been playing my game."

* A few Giants wore ski masks and heavy layers of clothing Thursday, but Vogelsong took the mound in short sleeves. He was on base twice for lengthy periods of time but refused a jacket.

"It's just one of those things where when it's cold like this, your body adjusts to that temperature," he said. "I'd rather stay at that temperature."

Manager Bruce Bochy smiled and pointed out that Vogelsong is used to cold winters after living in Pennsylvania for most of his life.